Suzanne Shade, a designer in San Francisco, Calif., on March 26, 2009.

Photo: Craig Lee, The Chronicle

Suzanne Shade, a designer in San Francisco, Calif., on March 26, 2009.

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One of stylemaker Suzanne Shade's favorites things:Twilight sleeper sofa: This is obviously great for guests, but we just recently had a baby and it?s been an indispensable piece. We use it as a family bed in the nursery, and the central spot to read stories and play. It will also grow to be her bed when the time comes. Hooray for multi uses! (dwr.com)OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

One of stylemaker Suzanne Shade's favorite things:ITSOK: An artist called Sighn is creating this limited-edition work of 1 million. I say ?creating? since it will take him another 60 years to finish on his own. And I think everyone should have one. (curiosityshoppeonline.com)

Photo: "Sighn"

One of stylemaker Suzanne Shade's favorite things:ITSOK: An artist...

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One of Suzanne Shade's favorite things:
Daydream wallpaper by Julia Rothman: I’m too chicken to put up wallpaper in our house, but it doesn’t mean you should be. This whole series of designs is almost like having a custom mural. (raredevice.net)

Photo: Courtesy Of Hygge & West

One of Suzanne Shade's favorite things:
Daydream wallpaper by Julia...

Like many entrepreneurs, Suzanne Shade discovered that necessity was indeed the mother of invention.

"I saw a gallery in London go online in 2001 and it really got me thinking about the possibilities of the Internet for selling art," she said. "What pushed me over the edge was that I was also looking for art myself and really had a hard time narrowing down who showed where and what I could afford.

"I knew there were so many artists out there making great work, so it was just a matter of trying to connect them through a central medium."

Thus the Beholder (beholder-art.com) was launched four years ago, offering the work of 15 artists. Today, the online gallery features more than 70 artists.

Shade cultivated her love of photography, printmaking and artists' books while studying at the Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York. She has spent 15 years working as a graphic designer in the advertising industry.

In the Castro district Victorian that she shares with her husband and daughter, Shade has "lots of wall space and lots of art," she said. "What strikes most visitors is how much photography I have. It's my thing."

Although most of the artwork in her home is purchased, Shade enjoys "adopting pieces from Beholder artists for extended periods." Similarly, Beholder clients have the option of a seven-day trial. "The big reason I do the trial is that some mediums are harder to represent online than others, and I respect and encourage people who tell me that something's not quite working for them."

The Beholder has found a special niche among first-time art buyers. "It's great to hear that I can be part of someone's journey into collecting," said Shade. "I even had one woman in London tell me that she gave up smoking, and she was buying art with the money she saved."

The Shade cheat sheet

Best advice received: "Buy what you love, and don't be afraid of asking for expert advice. Also, artwork is like lost love: If you give up a good one, it will always stay in your mind to haunt you."

Best advice given: "One thing people often overlook is to not load up too much on the small stuff - art books, T-shirts and prints just leave you with less money to spend on the collector pieces. It kills me when I see people doing this, and then they tell me they can't afford 'real art.' "

Damage control: "Mostly the damage comes from sunlight, especially here in the Bay Area. I always have my pieces framed with UV Plexiglas, and even then, try to keep them out of direct light. Also, try to keep work out of rooms with lots of moisture - bathrooms - and away from getting bumped."

Get framed: "I really like the folks at Back to the Picture in the Mission (934 Valencia St., San Francisco). They'll even let you finish the framing yourself to save some extra money. For the real splurge pieces, I use City Picture Frame (524 Third St., San Francisco)."

On purchasing prints: "This is a great way to start out but does require a bit of homework. First, make sure the piece is part of an edition. The smaller the edition size, the more value the piece will have later on. Next, make sure the printing process is archival and is designed for a long life span. If an artist does not specify those materials, definitely ask - and be wary if they cannot go into detail about this topic. If you contact the artist or gallery, it is also a legitimate question to know if the edition is produced all at once or if they are produced on demand. The former is a more secure way to buy because it limits the temptation for an artist to extend the edition size."